Turbulent Waters
by TigStripe
Summary: FFX AU. When Grand Maester Yuna discovers that the local antiYuna campaign is connected with the mysterious appearance of Aeons, Spira's fate becomes sealed once more in the spiral.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first attempt at a "kosher" FF-based story, and I really like the idea…strangely enough, it came to me while I was lying in bed, trying to get to sleep the night before I moved into college. I started writing it while I was on an internet hiatus (forced, I might add, because it was a lack of a computer that did it!) in my notebook-o-stories, and it was good enough to make it to here. This'll be the first chapter, and if enough people like it, I'll continue it.

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Disclaimer: I do not own any characters used in this story other than members of the Rebel League.

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Final Fantasy X: Turbulent Waters

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A year after Sin's death, the "Eternal Calm" continues to thrive. The people are happy. Spira is at peace. Or so they say.

My name is Ridelle. I was a warrior monk under Maester Kinoc when the summoner Yuna went on her pilgrimage. I participated in Operation Mi'ihen and survived; a living testimony that the faithful to Yevon are blessed people, indeed. I sand with the ship in the sky that played the Hymn of the Fayth. I cheered when Sin lit up the sky and burst into pyreflies.

But I did not go to Luca to hear the traitor Yuna speak to Spira.

In the months following Sin's demise, the people of Spira sought out new leaders to guide them into the Eternal Calm. Much to my disgust, the people chose Yuna.

In her address to the people of Spira, Yuna explained the "lies" that the order of Yevon spread across Spira. I couldn't believe the filth that the traitorous wench was speaking! To think, that the Final Aeon was the key to Sin's revival! Utter lies! I couldn't stand there and listen to such disgraces.

The people of Spira believed Yuna's lies and proposed the order of New Yevon, one of peace and keeping Spira pristine. Yuna, of course, was deemed Grand Maester. Yuna's Ronso pet Kimahri became the leader of the remaining Ronso tribe. The blasphemous child of the Al Bhed called Rikku became the lianson between the New Yevon and the despicable Al Bhec. That imbecile Wakka was established as the Master of Games in Luca, bringing all of Blitzball under his watch. Finally, the witch Lulu was deemed Yuna's counsel; her main advisor. All five of them were Maesters of New Yevon.

I spit in all of their faces!

I joined the rest of the truly faithful members of the Order of Yevon, disguising ourselves as the Rebel League. Yuna knows of our faithfulness, and she is threatened by our resolve, yet she has done nothing to thwart out preaching of the teachings. Such a lax in discipline is not the act of a true leader. It has given the Rebel League the chance to delve into the deepest reaches of Yevon's teachings.

We have discovered, through our research and faithful endeavors, the process in which fayth are created.

The time is near, now, that we, the truly faithful to Yevon's teachings, teach the traitor Yuna, as well as the rest of Spira, that only the truly faithful are meant to live.

We will succeed, Yuna, and you will not have the power you need to stop us…

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Chapter 1: Anniversary

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"Yuna?" A well endowed, lovely woman in a black kimono with designs of flames and beautiful braided black hair called, appeared in the court room of the Palace of St. Bevelle. "Yuna, where are you?"

Lulu collapsed into deep thought, her delicate brow furrowed as it was quite frequently when something involved Yuna. Yuna couldn't have gone far, as she was the Grand Maester, and would have an escort almost anywhere. Where would she have gone, regardless of the risks of going out of Bevelle alone?

A smile slowly found its way to Lulu's mouth. Bevelle was on the edge of Macalania Forest. Lulu's smile saddened as she realized where Grand Maester Yuna had gone and why.

The black mage sighed and turned out of the court room, knowing what she must do.

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A tear fell down Yuna's cheek as she sat beside a magical lake, deep in Macalania Forest.

"It will be one full year in four days," the Maester said to the lake. Or was it something inside the lake? Or no one, perhaps? "One year…"

Putting her fingers in her mouth and blowing, Yuna produced a shrill whistle that echoed against the lake waters, returning her whistle to her ears, weaker than before. Her whistling had progressively gotten softer, more sullen, over the past year.

Another tear fell down the cheek of the most powerful person in Spira and she sighed. A soft hand found Yuna's soft shoulder. "Yuna," Lulu said in a softly spoken voice, "we should head back to the palace."

"Just one more minute," Yuna argued, slightly sobbing.

"Rikku arrives in two hours," Lulu said sternly. "The Grand Maester should be there to welcome her friend and fellow Maester."

Yuna chuckled darkly. "I should never have agreed to that title," she whispered.

Lulu laughed, lightening the mood. "Don't let it get to you. You are the hope of Spira's people. You will be the hope that shines through the millennia of darkness established by Yevon. Now, come with me."

Lulu helped Yuna her feet and the two of them headed back to Bevelle. Along the way, Yuna was completely silent and never looked Lulu in the eye. Before long, the Grand Maester was once more where she "belonged," at the head of the St. Bevell High Court.

The monstrous double-doors at the far end of the hall creaked open, revealing a boisterous blonde with wild hair and strange green eyes garbed in her Maester's gown, a lovely red kimono with patterns of pyreflies.

"Yunie, we need to talk," Rikku said, stepping into the Questioned platform and raising herself to speak with the Grand Maester.

"You're early," Lulu said, crossing her arms and giving the young girl a stern look.

"What's the matter, Rikku?" Yuna asked her friend, a look of concern spread across her face.

"Another Al Bhed convoy was attacked this morning," Rikku said, growing red in the face. "It was the Rebel League again." Yuna sighed and hung her head. Rikku shook her head, her eyes soft and understanding, but confused. "When are you going to do something about them, Yuna? This is the third attack in two weeks." The Al Bhed's green, swirled eyes were tearing up, gazing imploringly at Yuna.

Lulu sensed that something was wrong with her young friend. "There's more, isn't there?" Lulu asked silently, as if she'd already known the answer.

Rikku nodded. "Pops was leading the convoy."

Yuna's head snapped up, her mismatched eyes wide in terror. "Cid? Is he all right?" she demanded.

Rikku didn't answer. She bowed her head and tears fell to the rail underneath her fingers. Yuna's hands covered a silent gasp. Lulu shook her head solemnly.

"I can't keep the Al Bhed calm anymore, Yunie," Rikku said, looking off to the side. "If you don't do something about the Revel League, the Al Bhed will."

Yuna fell to her knees. Lulu watched her intently and Rikku didn't look at her at all.

"Send out a warrant for anyone claiming to be a member of the Rebel League," Yuna said inside a sigh.

Lulu nodded silently and turned to leave the room, leaving the Al Bhed girl and the Grand Maester to speak alone.

"What of the Guado?" Yuna asked Rikku.

Rikku finally looked at Yuna again. "Gone without a trace. We have no idea where they went."

"That's unfortunate," Yuna said, standing to her feet. "We could use a negotiator such as Tromell in such troubling times."

"Kimahri said that the Ronso are getting restless about finding the Guado and making them pay for what Seymour did."

Yuna closed her eyes and sighed. Kimahri had become the Ronso Elder after Maester Kelk had been killed by Seymour a year ago, but even the limited numbers of the Ronso was a large enough factor to deter the race from holding a grudge against the Guado. They wanted to see the Guado pay for what Seymour had done to them.

Yuna opened her mouth to speak, but before she could answer, Lulu burst back into the room through the door through which she had exited. Her eyes were wide and she was sweating slightly. "Yuna!" she hissed severely. "To your office chamber, now! This is something you'll want to see."

Lulu turned and led the other two Maesters to Yuna's business quarters, where al official business of New Yevon came to pass. The busty black mage turned to a large sphere screen and began a sphere playback.

An older man sat in front of the sphere camera, looking around wildly. His eyes were wide with fear and worry. After a moment, he looked at the camera and began his message.

"Lady Yuna, something has happened. Besdaid temple is under attack. The Crusaders stationed here fought valiantly, but no one is a match for an aeon. I don't know what to do; whoever survived the attack fled into the jungle, but we're still being picked off one by one. Please, Lady Yuna, we beg of you: help us!" The man reached to turn the camera off when Yuna noticed large movement in the foliage behind him. There was a flash of silver, a crash, a scream, and the video ended.

Yuna sat there, bewildered. She just stared at the blank sphere screen for a few minutes, her eyes wide. Rikku was just as speechless.

"Wasn't that Old Man Telis?" Lulu asked, her mouth covered by a finger. "I'd thought that the man had a heart of stone. I'd never seen him so much as smile, let alone act like _that_."

Yuna continued to appear speechless.

"An aeon," she finally whispered. "Does that mean that the fayth have somehow returned?"

Yuna headed for the door and went out, into the hallway. Lulu and Rikku were right behind her.

"Yunie, what are you going to do?" Rikku asked.

Yuna closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "I must go to Besaid and investigate this myself," she said sternly, her eyes opening to give off a determination Lulu had only seen during the summoner's pilgrimage.

"Then I'll go with you!" Rikku said, pounding herself on the chest. "I'm your guardian, after all," she added with a friendly wink.

Lulu nodded, a smirk on her face. "Looks to me like being a Maester isn't as dull as I had thought it would be. Let's go."

Yuna nodded, not quite as upbeat as the other two women. "Yes. Let's go to Besaid."

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Yeah, uh, had a problem ending the chapter, but it's all good. So, uh, whatja think? Is it a good enough idea to continue? Let me know! R&R, please. 


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the reviews. I actually decided to continue this because I read the summary on my own profile page and thought, "I got good reviews and that just sounds cool…" so yeah, I'm going to continue it.

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Final Fantasy X: Turbulent Waters

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Chapter 2 – Reunited

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Maesters Yuna, Lulu, and Rikku made their way to the city of Luca within a day, thanks to the traveling services of the former Bevelle Warrior Monks. Garbed in her summoner's robes once more, Yuna was the first to step off of the transport after it reached the Luca end of the Mi'ihen Highroad. A few people nearby saw her immediately and sent their gracious greetings along with the all-too-familiar prayer, to which Yuna ignored. She despised the prayer and what it stood for. Even after a year, it hadn't sunken into the skulls of the people that it was a symbol of the lies of the Order of Yevon. Yuna had once ordered it to stop, but it continued regardless of her wishes, so she gave up and decided to merely ignore the prayers. She nodded to her onlookers and turned to the transport.

Lulu stepped out of the transport and a few people gasped. Instead of her dress made of belts, Lulu wore pair of leather pants with several belts clasped around her waist. She wore heavy boots that were strapped on with what looked like belts as well, and her top was a form-fitting turtleneck, sleeveless tunic. Her wrists and elbows were clasped in belts and she sported fingerless leather gloves. Her hair was still up in braids and she wore the same dark lipstick, but her eye shadow was almost completely gone and around her neck was a black belt. She nodded to Yuna and looked up at Rikku, who was just hopping out of the transport, before turning towards the steps leading into Luca and taking a few steps forward.

Rikku landed lightly in her hide boots. She earned even more gasps than Lulu had. Rikku was clad in a very unique ensemble of a very short miniskirt that hid a short pair of shorts, a yellow bikini top, and her arms were covered in white bows and frills. She wore red, fingerless gloves and a bright scarf that hung down her front. She had a belt wrapped around her waist at a sheer angle and her hair was pulled up in a wild array of braids and an explosion of a ponytail. She wore a bandana on her head as if she were a pirate. In strange holsters on either of her hips were large circular daggers that wrapped entirely around the user's hand and spiked straight out into a singular, dangerous point on each weapon. She, by far, looked the most different of the three of them as compared to how they had appeared during Yuna's pilgrimage.

"Love the skirt," someone called to Rikku as she ran to join her friends and fellow Maesters as they headed towards the entrance to Luca. Rikku laughed and waved to whoever it was that had shouted at her as she ran down the stairs. Her foot caught on a step and she fell face-first, straight down onto Lulu, who was already standing safely on the lower landing. With a tremendous crash, the two of them found themselves in a massive pile of limbs on the floor, with a giggling Yuna standing beside them.

Rikku leapt to her feet and scratched the back of her head with embarrassment. "Okay, then, let's get goin'!" She raced along the handrail that led down into the main part of town, followed by a still-giggling Yuna and a growling Lulu.

The three of them reached the main stadium terminal, where the attendant took note of them immediately. "Maester Yuna," she said in a shocked tone of voice. "Shall I call Maester Wakka to meet with you?"

"It isn't necessary," Yuna replied with a smile. "Thank you, though."

"Yuna," Lulu said, pulling her to the side, "I think it would be in our best interest to bring Wakka along. He is no pushover in battle. We might need his anti-fiend expertise."

Yuna considered for a moment and came to the conclusion that her advisor was right, as usual. She turned back to the attendant and waved to get her attention again. "I'm sorry, but could you please tell Maester Wakka that we're here to see him, please?" she asked.

The attendant smiled and nodded. "Of course, Maester." She typed in a few buttons and picked up a communications receiver. "Yes, sir…Yes, sir, Grand Maester Yuna, Maester Lulu, and Maester Rikku are here to see you." She paused for a moment, listening. "Of course, sir, I'll tell them. Thank you." She hung up the receiver and looked up to see Yuna again. "Maester Wakka said that he'll be here momentarily. If you could please wait upstairs, he'll be able to find you easier."

Yuna nodded, her smile gone. "Thank you very much."

"No! Thank you, Grand Maester!" The attendant bowed deeply and Yuna feared that she would smack her forehead on the console in front of her before she raised up again and bid them farewell.

Yuna, Lulu, and Rikku went upstairs and found themselves sitting on a circular couch directly above the attendant's terminal. As they made themselves comfortable, they heard a rush of cheers and gasps from inside the arena entrance, right behind them. A heated blitz game was going on inside the stadium, and someone had either just been hit hard, or had scored. Looking around, Yuna realized the sheer number of people in the stadium and realized that the blitz season was about to start. This game was a pre-season game, she was sure of it. They were sitting there for less than ten minutes before they heard the ever-familiar, "Hey!"

Rikku was the first to jump up and yell out, "Wakka!" She waved her arms wildly over her head and jumped up and down, knowing full well that he had already seen, and heard, her.

The muscular redhead was garbed in a strange attire of blue silken slacks that shimmered like water when they caught the light and a tight long-sleeved tunic with a pattern of blitzballs. His hair was still kept up in its strange swoosh and he still continued to wear the blue headband. Dangling around his neck was the same fish necklace that he wore a year ago, and wrapped around his right bicep was a black remembrance band. Yuna was slightly surprised to see that, actually. It hadn't occurred to her to wear such a ribbon. Perhaps it was the denial that the person who was being remembered was really gone.

Wakka went upstairs and joined the other three at the circular couch, a huge grin plastered on his face. "What are you guys doing here, eh?" he asked, ruffling Rikku's hair.

"Hey, cut it out!" Rikku said with a laugh.

"It's actually very important," Lulu said, crossing her arms.

"Important enough to wear pants, eh? Who woulda thunk?" Wakka said, his smile disappearing. Lulu raised an eyebrow and Wakka raised his palms to face her in a peaceful manner.

Rikku spun around. "What do you think of my little outfit?" she asked with a grin.

"It's, uh, very…" Wakka stammered for a moment, looking at Rikku's short skirt and bikini top. "…revealing, ya?"

Rikku grinned. "I'm not a little kid anymore, you know."

"Rikku," Lulu said, becoming irked. "This is important."

Rikku nodded and sat back down. Lulu stood up and told Wakka of the strange sphere transmission that they had received back in Bevelle, and how they were on their way to Besaid to investigate personally.

Wakka had his arms crossed when Lulu had finished her explanation. "Sounds like a tough job," he said without a hint of expression on his face. "When do we ship out?"

Yuna stood up with a smile. "So you're going to come along?" she asked, her hands placed together in hope.

Wakka nodded. "Sure am. Wouldn't be much of a guardian if I didn't, ya? I gotta look after my little sis, you know."

Yuna smiled. "Thank you, Wakka."

Rikku bounced to her feet and dashed around Wakka, out into the walkway. "Okay, then, let's get a move on!"

Wakka grabbed his chin in thought. "Wait a sec, Rikku. I think there's someone here that might want to help."

Lulu raised an eyebrow. Wakka's judge in character was…unique. Who could he have in mind, here in Luca, where blitzball players made up a majority of the people in the city?

"Wait here," Wakka said, pointing at the couch and turning towards the arena entrance. He dashed up the stairs and out of sight, just as another cheer burst from within.

Rikku tapped her foot impatiently, leaning up against a handrail and staring at the stadium entrance as Lulu and Yuna sat back on the couch. All three of them were wondering just who Wakka could possibly bring to them from the crowd of a blitzball game.

Five minutes later, Wakka reappeared with a tall, catlike creature with bright blue fur and white hair atop his crown. His broken unicorn-like horn and short stature, despite being taller than Wakka, let the girls know immediately who it was.

"Kimahri!" Rikku cried happily as she rushed forward and glomped Kimahri around the neck. It had taken quite a leap to do it for someone as short as Rikku. Kimahri's traditional Ronso warrior outfit was all he wore. He was the only of the new Maesters that refused to wear the Bevelle outfits.

"Kimahri! What are you doing here?" Yuna asked, walking up to the Ronso elder.

"Kimahri came to watch the Ronso Fangs in pre-season," the Ronso replied in his guttural-yet-intelligent speech. "It helps Kimahri keep down stress."

"I can certainly appreciate that decision," Lulu said, crossing her arms. "I suppose you'd be interested to hear why we're here?"

Kimahri nodded. "Wakka tell Kimahri. Kimahri help Yuna."

"We couldn't ask you to come with us, Kimahri," Yuna replied with a warm smile, already in the know that Kimahri wouldn't let her out of his sight until this mystery was solved.

"Kimahri insist," the Ronso replied.

"If that's the case, then it looks like we're all together again," Rikku said with a joyous hop. She looked a the ground. "Well, most of us, anyway."

Silence befell the group in the remembrance of the two people missing from their group. It didn't take long, however, for Lulu to interrupt their mourning with a hearty "Wakka, get dressed. We're leaving."

"Yes'm!" Wakka turned on his heel and dashed down the stairs towards his office, where he had stored his blitz uniform and a few blitzballs. Kimahri followed him, undoubtedly to gather his own equipment.

Yuna brandished her own staff and nodded to the others. They were together again, and when that was the case, nothing would stand in their way – not even Sin itself.

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Well, there's part 2. Not as long as the first chapter, but I think that's all that would be relevant to the chapter title. I'm starting to think that this is a good story idea. :3 Look for updates soon, but remember to RnR! 


	3. Chapter 3

Started in the same day as chapter 2, it's chapter 3! (OMG)

I didn't have this on my second chapter, but remember that I don't own any of the characters in this story unless they are members of the Rebel League. Wow, that's awful close to the Rebel Alliance. But hey, this ain't Star Wars.

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Final Fantasy X: Turbulent Waters

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Chapter 3 – Aeons

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Yuna, Rikku, Lulu, Wakka, and Kimahri boarded a ship to Besaid Island as soon as Wakka and Kimahri had returned to the other three from Wakka's office. Wakka was once again in his infamous Besaid Aurochs blitz gear, complete with blitzball, and Kimahri was holding his trusty lance in his right hand as the group boarded the ship.

The five of them spread out among the boat to avoid gathering too much attention to themselves; they were, after all, each famous in their own right, and they didn't need a lot of interference in their current mission. Kimahri, however, had stayed with Yuna, loyal to his position of guardian for the remainder of his life.

"Grand Maester Yuna," a little girl said, running up to Yuna at the bow of the boat, "are you going to Besaid?"

Yuna bent down, a smile on her face. "Yes, I am. What's your name?" she asked the little girl.

The little girl had brown hair and tanned skin. She wore a long red tunic that almost dragged the ground. "Don't you remember me? I'm Callie," the girl said with a grin.

Yuna's eyes widened. "Oh, I remember! How are you, Callie?"

Callie giggled. "I'm doing great, Lady Yuna! Mommy and I are going to Besaid for vacation! I'm really excited. It's the first vacation that I've ever been on!"

_One of the first that anyone has been on in a thousand years,_ Yuna thought. Then her destination smacked her like a brick to the face. The smile was wiped off of her face immediately. "Listen, Callie," Yuna said in a hushed tone, "I know how excited you are to go to Besaid, but please, go tell your mommy that you need to go back to Luca. Besaid is very dangerous right now. In fact," she added, standing up and looking at Kimahri, "spread it to the others that everyone on this boat needs to be informed of Besaid's situation. Don't give them too much information, but tell them that they need to go back to Luca. If they resist, tell them that the Grand Maester has given them a direct order," she added as an afterthought.

Kimahri nodded and bounded off towards Rikku, who was sitting with her arm wrapped around a rope that was connecting the handrail on the first level to the second level of the boat, and her legs draped over the edge of the boat itself. Her scarf was whipping wildly in the wind caused by the movement of the boat.

"Callie, I'm sorry," Yuna said, bending back down to the little girl. "Please go to Kilika or Luca. Besaid is very dangerous right now, and we're going there to make it safe for people."

Callie's eyes were wide, and Yuna could see that she was scared, but the little girl donned a look of determination and turned away from the Grand Maester, running as fast as her dress would let her legs move, towards a tall brunette woman watching the ocean surge beneath them.

Yuna stood up, her hair waving in the wind of the ocean. _We have to protect the people,_ Yuna thought, her face stern. She turned and looked ahead of the ship and saw the outline of Besaid Island.

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When the boat docked on Besaid Island's shore, Yuna, Wakka, Lulu, Rikku, and Kimahri were the only ones who got off the ship. The word has spread quickly that it was dangerous here. There were a few people waiting at the dock, ready to get on the ship. Several of them looked as if they'd seen ghosts, and a few of them actually had scrapes and bruises. Yuna signaled to the captain of the ship to wait a moment. She told all the waiting people to get onboard but one person, to whom she wished to speak.

The young woman she chose to speak to seemed to be the most composed of the ones who were waiting for the ship. "Can I speak to you?" Yuna asked.

"Of course, Maester," the woman replied with a nod.

"Can you tell me what's going on here?" Yuna inquired.

The woman replied with a shake of her head. "I'm afraid not. The village is deserted. Several people have been killed. The Crusaders that were stationed her all died in vain, trying to hold off the monster that appeared out of the temple's Chamber of the Fayth. I was lucky to get out of the village before it started attacking. As soon as it had appeared, I had run for my life and made it here to the shore as fast as I could. I hid in that shack over there until the boat appeared," the woman pointed to a small beach shack in the growing twilight of the approaching night.

"Thank you," Yuna said with a nod. "Please, vacate the island safely."

The woman nodded, and with a "Thank you, Maester," she boarded the ship with the other Besaid residents, leaving Yuna and her group alone on the island with whatever monstrosity it was that was plaguing the village.

As the ship set sail for Kilika, Yuna looked at her friends with the same determined look that she had back when she was on her summoner's pilgrimage. "Let's get to the village."

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The group approached the statue on the Besaid overlook, where travelers used to pray for a safe voyage. Yuna stopped and looked down at the village, tears forming in her eyes. Smoke rose from the few remaining huts that weren't smashed into the ground. The temple itself seemed to be untouched, but with the fayth gone, that was hardly important anymore. Only the people of Besaid held any value anymore, and many of them had gone on to be part of the Farplane. Yuna would never forgive whoever had done this.

The group made their way to the entrance of the smoldering village and found themselves the only moving things in sight. There wasn't a trace of life anywhere. The only thing left in the entire village was Yevon's temple.

"The Chamber of the Fayth may hold the answers we seek," Lulu suggested, brandishing her new toy, a Tonberry doll. It twitched with voodoo anticipation as Lulu prepared herself for what they would find inside.

Rikku nodded, unusually serious. "Lulu's right. I think that's the only place left on the island that hasn't been trashed."

Yuna agreed and readied her staff as she led the way up the steps to the temple of Yevon. It had been a full year since anyone had stepped inside the Chamber of the Fayth at this particular temple, but Yuna knew that someone was inside there now, and she intended to find out who it was. When the five of them found themselves staring at the entrance to the Cloister of Trials, Yuna took a deep breath. _For the people of the Island of Besaid_. She nodded. Wakka place a hand on each half of the center-split double-door and heaved forward, opening their path into the Cloister.

Yuna led the way through the Cloister of Trials without a hitch – the puzzle had already been solved; there was no need to complete it again. The five of them rushed to the elevator in the hidden wall and Yuna activated it with a mere thought. As the elevator began to lower, Yuna thought that she could feel the heart rate of each one of her dear friends spike – even Kimahri.

When the elevator stopped, Kimahri and Wakka led the way to the room where they had once before waited for Yuna to appear as a full-fledged summoner. Lulu and Rikku were directly after the men, and Yuna was placed at the back with her staff.

"Show yourself!" Yuna cried. "We know there's someone in there!"

When there was no response, the group cautiously made their way forward. Kimahri and Wakka forced the opening to the Chamber of the Fayth open, letting the girls in before following them inside. None of them knew what to expect, but not a single one of them expected what they saw.

A fayth statue sat silently in the center of the Chamber, glowing beautifully. Yuna collapsed at its edge and peered down into it. It was of an unfamiliar aeon; one of many razor-sharp claws and silver skin. It had long, dagger-like ears and a small, evil-looking face with no mouth. It had long arms with razor-sharp fingers. It looked like the bunny from Hell.

"A fayth!" Rikku shook her head. "What's this doing here?"

"The fayth all disappeared when Sin was destroyed," Lulu whispered. "This is impossible."

"It's not in use currently," Yuna murmured, taking note of the gentle glow of the fayth. She stood up and turned to the others. "Leave me here with it. Perhaps if I pray to it, I can get a few answers."

"We're not leaving you here with a mysterious fayth," Lulu replied forcefully. "It shouldn't be here – it could be dangerous."

Yuna sighed. Lulu was right. The Grand Maester turned to face the fayth statue again and sat on her heels as she prayed the Prayer of Yevon to the statue. The others were stark silent, waiting to see what would happen. Yuna bowed her head with her eyes closed, completing the Prayer. When she looked up again, her eyes, reopened, widened in shock.

Before the five of them floated the image of a male warrior monk garbed in the yellow uniform that they were used to seeing among the lowly ranks of the monks in Bevelle. Suddenly, the group felt the presence of the fayth, and the Hymn began to play eerily in the background as the fayth spoke.

"Ah, the High Summoner Yuna," the fayth said in an almost amused tone of voice.

"She's Grand Maester now," Rikku corrected. "Get with the times, old man!"

The warrior monk seemed to spit at something off to the side. "The High Summoner is a powerful summoner, indeed, but she is hardly material for Grand Maester. I know exactly what is happening in the world today. I know very well that all five of you are 'Maesters' of New Yevon. I couldn't be more disgusted to know that Yevon has fallen to the likes of you."

Yuna stood up. "Who are you?"

The fayth shimmered silently for a moment before he started laughing. "I am a fayth, Lady Yuna. Isn't that obvious? I am the fayth that summons the aeon known as Edge."

"Alright, then, Edge," Yuna said politely, "may I ask you why you are here, in the temple of Besaid?"

"I was placed here in order to be summoned in the holy sanctity of a temple of Yevon," the fayth replied. "My summoner has already left the island, and I shall bestow my power upon only those who I see fit."

Yuna bowed her head and looked back up at the fayth. "Am I worthy?" she inquired.

The fayth cracked into hysterics. "You? You want to know if you're worthy of my power? Hardly. Look at yourself, 'Grand Maester.' You must travel with five companions to investigate the strange murders of over half of your hometown. A worthy person would have come alone. You ask if you are worthy. To answer your question, Lady Yuna, no, you are not worthy, you shall never be worthy of true aeons that are faithful to the Order of Yevon. We will put an end to your tyranny and blaspheming ways, High Summoner. We will enjoy every moment of it, too." With that, the fayth laughed and faded out, leaving the Hymn of the Fayth to haunt the minds of the Grand Maester and her counsel.

Yuna was dumbstruck. She wouldn't move, even when Lulu placed her compassionate hands on her younger friend's shoulders and gave a gentle shake. Rikku tried making a face at her, but Yuna was completely unresponsive. Wakka and Kimahri stood at the side, watching, as Lulu and Rikku tried to revive Yuna, but to no avail. It seemed that the summoner was frozen in a state of awe. Having given up on Yuna for the moment, Lulu and Rikku turned to Wakka and Kimahri to discuss their next move.

"How is this possible?" Wakka demanded. "The teachings of Yevon never mentioned new aeons!"

Lulu was deep in thought. It was Rikku who responded. "Well, I don't know much about Yevon's teachings, but it seems to me that someone has it in for Yunie."

"Rebels," Kimahri interjected.

Rikku looked up with Kimahri with a nod. "Just what I was thinking. I say that the Rebel League did this somehow."

"The question is," Lulu added, coming out of her own little trance of thought, "how did they do it? I've studied the teachings of Yevon thoroughly, and it never states how to create fayth statues. Supposedly, only Yunalesca had that knowledge."

"That's not the question," Wakka replied. "The question now is how do we stop them? They have aeons. We don't. That's a problem, ya?"

"Ya," Rikku replied with a nod. "If we're up against a group of people who have access to aeons, we're seriously outmatched."

Lulu fell into thought again as Kimahri brought his voice into the conversation again. "Perhaps Guado help."

Rikku looked up at Kimahri with a confused look. "What do you mean? We have no idea where the Guado are, let alone if they can help."

"Guado know Farplane. Farplane provide knowledge," Kimahri replied.

"I think Kimahri's suggesting we hit the Farplane and ask someone for advice," Wakka interpreted. "Who would we ask, though?"

"Someone with enough battle experience to give us sound advice in such a tight situation," Lulu replied simply, bringing her head up to the group again. "I only have one person in mind."

Rikku crossed her arms and looked over at the wall, staring at its intricate designs. "The Farplane in Guadosalam is just a bunch of pyreflies. Even if you did summon the image of someone to look at, that's all they are – images."

Lulu considered once more. "She's right."

"What if there was a way to talk to those who have passed on to the real Farplane?" Wakka asked excitedly.

Lulu, Rikku, and Kimahri all looked over at Wakka with interest. "Do you have a plan?" Lulu asked.

Wakka laughed. "Oh, heck no. I was just wonderin' if it would be a good idea."

Rikku shrugged. "Sure, _if_ we could talk to the dead."

"Kimahri think Kimahri knows a way," Kimahri said quietly.

All eyes were on Kimahri. "What? How's that?" Rikku asked, dumbfounded.

"Fayth Scar" was Kimahri's simple answer.

"But the fayth there died out when Sin was destroyed," Lulu interjected. "Even if we were to enter the Dream World, we wouldn't be able to speak with the dead."

"Summon magic strong," Kimahri argued. "Fayth Scar still magic. Summon dead there. Yuna is summoner. Yuna summons."

"Okay," Rikku said thoughtfully, "so if we were to go to the Fayth Scar, then we might be able to summon the spirit of someone who has passed on through the extreme summon magic in that location? So it'd be up to Yunie, right?"

Everyone looked over at Yuna, who had finally come out of her trance and looked over at their little congregation. Her mismatched eyes flashed dangerously and a look of sheer determination crossed her face.

"To Gagazet."

* * *

O.o This is turning out pretty interesting. Considering the fact that I only have about half of the storyline planned out ahead of time, this is pretty good. XD Let me know what you think. RnR! 


	4. Chapter 4

I'm _really_ sorry for the delay on this specific chapter. It would seem that I've had it on my harddrive for months and just never posted it. (cries) Please don't hate me!

Just so you know, half of this stuff is impromptu, and I'm basically riding along with it pretty much as you are. I do have _some_ things planned out, and I'm not revealing anything. Remember that. XD

Anyway, enough stalling!

WARNING: mild spoilers.

* * *

Final Fantasy X: Turbulent Waters

* * *

Chapter 4 – Pilgrimage

* * *

When Yuna and the others arrived back at the beach, they realized that they had no way to get off of Besaid. With the panic, Yuna had forgotten to instruct the boat to return to the island, regardless of the imminent danger. To Yuna, it was saving the life of the captain of the ferry. To everyone else, it was stranding them on the island.

"No need to fear, for Rikku is here!" Rikku said joyfully, pulling out a strange device from somewhere that Wakka couldn't quite figure out. She tapped it a few times and a strange static sound issued forth from it.

"(Who is it?)" an Al Bhed voice sounded over the device, entirely in Al Bhed. Yuna jumped. It was a communicator!

"(Brother, it's Rikku, you idiot! Can't you even tell the voice of your own sister?)" Rikku replied violently into the communicator. Everyone else just stood around, wondering what was being said.

"(You say tomato, I say potato,)" Brother's voice said with a snicker. Rikku fumed for a moment to something that Yuna didn't understand and she suppressed the urge to throw her communicator onto the ground and stomp on it in a fit of rage.

"(Listen, Brother,)" Rikku began, "(Grand Maester Yuna and the others are here on Besaid with me. We need a lift. Where are you?)"

"(We're over Luca right now. It'll be about half an hour before you can expect to see us,)" Brother replied. "(Where are you looking at going?)"

"(Mount Gagazet,)" Rikku replied. Yuna understood that.

"(Mount Gagazet?)" Brother demanded. "(Do you _think_ we're made of gil? This hunk of junk eats fuel like no other machina ever made. I'll take you there, but it'll cost ya.)"

Rikku sighed and rolled her eyes. "(Fine, fine, just hurry it up, alright? This is important.)"

"(Good. You can meet a new friend of mine while you're onboard,)" Brother said with a chuckle. "(See you in a little while.)"

Rikku turned off the communicator without saying goodbye, and put it in storage in a place where Wakka didn't see. "Brother's coming to get us," Rikku told them.

"In what?" Lulu asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Remember the flying ship?" Rikku replied with a grin, to which Lulu's eyes widened.

"That will get us to Mount Gagazet in no time!" Yuna said with a clap of her hands. "Nice work, Rikku!"

Rikku giggled. She suddenly turned serious. "Brother said that it'd be around half an hour, so we'd better get a little comfortable. They were over Luca when I called."

"Not a problem," Lulu said, pulling up a nice sand pile to sit on. "In the meantime, we should plan our next moves."

-

The airship arrived right on time, half an hour after Rikku had told the others of Brother's location. The sands of the Besaid shoreline blasted into the air as the propellers and engines of the ancient machina touched down, its monstrous blue form engulfing the shore. The massive spinning disc at the end of the ship slowed as it descended, until the airship finally touched down completely and opened up a hatch out of which a ladder descended, allowing the group a path to board.

Once they were onboard, the ship shook as the ladder lifted and the hatch closed. The vibrations grew as the disc at the rear of the ship began to spin and the placement legs were withdrawn. The ship began to take off as Rikku rushed down the corridors, leading the way to the bridge. When they reached it, Rikku rushed over to her spot to the right of the driver's handle and leapt into her little pod with a squeal.

"To Gagazet!" Rikku cried with a laugh.

"(What's the rush?)" Brother asked, running a gloved hand through his blonde mohawk.

"(I'll explain on the way,)" Rikku replied as Yuna and the others gathered around the sphere oscillo-finder. Lulu calibrated it as Cid had shown her a year ago, and a map of Gagzet appeared in front of them.

"Our target is the Fayth Scar," Lulu said. "We need to get there as fast as possible."

Rikku interpreted to Brother, who nodded. "(Fayth Scar, here we come!)" He did something to the driver's console and the ship vibrated horribly before the gravity force was felt on the bridge, throwing Yuna back into Kimahri's rigid frame.

The aiship turned to the east and shot off at top speed, screaming over the ocean east of Besaid.

On the bridge, Brother set the airship to autopilot and jumped out of the console. "(Rikku, I want you to meet someone,)" he said.

Rikku got out of her spot and stood next to Lulu with her hands on her hips. "(Who?)" she asked.

The door to the bridge opened and the sound of heeled boots filled the bridge. In through the opening walked a tall woman with dark grey hair in black leather. She wore a shoulder-less blouse that doubled over in the front, hiding her figure, and was decorated by a silver X on the left breast. The blouse stopped short, exposing her midriff, and her tight black pants fit into her tall leather boots, which were heard with every heeled footstep. She had bright red eyes and her face was entirely stoic. The only emotion that was seen on her face was noticeable when her eyes fell on Yuna. Yuna couldn't quite distinguish what emotion it was, exactly, but she saw a flicker of _something_ in her eyes.

"(She's not Al Bhed,)" Rikku noticed, placing a thoughtful finger on her chin. "Hey there!" The young blonde Al Bhed girl leapt up to the woman and forced her hand out in a handshake position.

The woman looked down at Rikku's hand, a foreign gesture to her. She looked up at Yuna again and stepped around the little Al Bhed girl. She nodded to the High Summoner and said simply, "Paine."

Yuna's eyes were slightly widened. "Pleased to meet you, Paine." She sent a look over to Rikku, kind of wondering what to do now. She didn't know this strange woman! Besides, Brother brought her up for Rikku, not Yuna. Yuna knew this by Brother never even saying the words "Yuna," "summoner," or "Maester" at all.

Wakka's mouth was hanging open slightly. She was a beautiful woman! Lulu noticed and grimaced. She reached out and snapped Wakka's mouth shut. "That's better," the mage said with an amused smirk.

"(Who is she?)" Rikku asked Brother.

"(A friend. She's good with a sword. I thought she might be able to help you.)" Brother turned back to his console and hopped back into position. He flicked the control for autopilot off.

"So, Paine, I hear you're good with a sword?" Rikku said with a somewhat nervous clap of her hands.

Paine looked over at Rikku and looked at her with her eternally stoic stare. "I am. What of it?"

Yuna's eyes flashed. Brother brought her to Rikku as backup. Yuna appreciated the gesture, but she wasn't sure that they would need the extra help.

"Oh, nothing, nothing!" Rikku said with a laugh, shaking her head and her hands quickly. "So, Yunie, do we know how we're doing this?"

Yuna fell into thought. "Possibly."

Kimahri stood up straight. "Yuna summon the spirits of the Farplane at the Fayth Scar. Spirits are wise, and can give advice."

Yuna nodded. "That's it."

Paine contemplated. "Atop Mount Gagazet? That's dangerous, isn't it?" she asked in her dry voice.

"Fayth Scar is Ronso sacred ground," Kimahri replied. "No people are there. Only fiends."

"I'll accompany the Grand Maester, then," Paine said with a nod. "She'll need someone to protect her up there."

Wakka cleared his throat and crossed his arms. "Whaddya think we're here for, eh? We're Yuna's guardians. It's our job to protect her. If you want in, Yuna has to agree to it, ya?"

"This isn't exactly a pilgrimage," Paine muttered, casting her red gaze upon Wakka, who immediately felt as if he shouldn't have said anything.

"That doesn't make it any different," Lulu replied. "We are her friends; we shall protect her no matter what. If you wish to come along, we have no objections, but it is not our decision as to who protects Yuna."

Paine looked over at Lulu and their eyes met with sparks. Their gazes were so alike…

"Paine can come," Yuna decided, bringing everyone back to the bridge and the problem at hand. "'The more, the merrier', I believe one of us had said," she added with a glance over at Wakka, who grinned.

"And she'll have to be the merriest!" Rikku concluded with a giggle. When Paine didn't say anything, Rikku shook her head and sighed. "Or not."

"(We'll be there soon, everyone needs to head to the exit,)" Brother reported.

"That's our cue," Rikku translated, heading towards the back of the bridge. "To the deck!"

The five of them, now accompanied by Paine, headed to the rear of the ship, where they reached the mechanism that allowed them to step out onto the deck of the ship. As soon as the shutters to the deck opened, the harsh, bitter winds of Mount Gagazet rushed into the ship. Rikku let out a gasp as the wind bit at her exposed chest.

"H-h-how do you stand it?" Rikku shivered to Wakka.

Wakka laughed heartily. "I got padding!" He pounded his muscular chest and laughed again. Rikku growled and felt the warmth of Kimahri's furry arms around her. She stopped shivering and sighed.

When the ship reached the mountain, it docked and the six of them piled out onto the sheer cliffs and ledges. "Fayth Scar just north of here," Kimahri directed, pointing around a cliff. The group followed his lead and eventually came to a massive wall of strange, statue-like bodies piled on top of each other and melded into the rock cliff face.

"Amazing," Paine whispered. "All of these were fayth once?"

Yuna nodded. "Yes. They were used to summon Sin."

Paine's eyes went wide. "These were what had caused Sin. Are you serious?"

Rikku nodded. "Uh-huh! And when we beat Yu Yevon, the guy using these fayth, they died. So did a lot of other stuff," she added, somewhat bitterly.

Paine didn't understand the feeling of the statement, but everyone else in the party did, and several of them hung their heads. Wakka absentmindedly touched the remembrance ribbon on his left arm.

"Yuna," Kimahri said finally, bringing everyone out of their saddened states.

Yuna nodded and walked up to the wall of fayth. Despite their emptiness, she could feel the raw magic seeping from their still bodies. She knew that even though Yu Yevon was gone, the magic of these fayth lived on in some form. A tear came to her eye as a thought crossed her mind – perhaps the Dream World still existed. Maybe he was still alive!

"Remember not to touch them," Lulu warned. "We still don't know what happened the last time one of us touched them."

_I know exactly what had happened,_ Yuna responded in her mind. She bowed her head and formed the Prayer with her hands. She felt the magic around her coalesce inside the balled form of her hands. It seeped through her fingers and spread up her arms until she could feel it deep within her chest. Her hair billowed out as the presence of the deceased fayth flowed through the air, and her summoner's robes twitched as the magic spun around her. Something connected with her mind. Her eyes shot open and the magic evaporated instantly, leaving a slightly-shaken Yuna standing alone on the cliff, devoid of her friends' presence.

She had felt someone…

Who…?

Yuna, shaking, turned to her friends. "These fayth aren't dead," she whispered, her forehead covered in cold sweat and her pupil dilated.

No one said anything, but everyone except Paine and Kimahri had a shocked look on their faces.

"These fayth," Yuna continued, "are still alive, and what's worse, they're being used."

Rikku shook her head. "Who could be using them?" she demanded. "We killed Yu Yevon! There's no one else strong enough to use this many fayth at once!"

"Maybe not a single person," Lulu replied as if it were obvious.

"A group of summoners, perhaps," Paine added with a nod. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest and her eyes were cast down at the ground in thought.

"Is it possible that they could all use the fayth simultaneously, Yuna?" Lulu asked.

Yuna shook her head. "No. If that had been possible, I could have had aeon duels with Belgamine using the same aeon as she had used."

"Many summoners choose many fayth," Kimahri said after a moment of silence. His tail twitched. "Many fayth summon single thing."

Wakka nodded. "I think Kimahri's right. A bunch of summoners got together and are using different fayth to summon one thing. But what would they be summoning? Sin is dead."

"What was Sin?" Lulu asked.

"And don't give us Yevon's definition," Rikku scolded as Wakka opened his mouth to answer.

Wakka chuckled impolitely and continued his answer. "Sin was armor for Yu Yevon, made from the carcass of an aeon."

Yuna nodded. "We had to dispatch all the aeons after we had defeated Sin, so that Yu Yevon could not take hold of them and make a new Sin."

Paine's eyes had returned to rest on Yuna. She hadn't heard any of this yet.

"So," Lulu concluded, "what, exactly, is stopping these summoners from using another aeon to generate a new Sin?"

"Sin took a thousand years to make," Rikku replied.

"No," Lulu countered. "Each Calm lasted only a few short years. During those few years, Sin was being reconstructed. It was done very quickly."

"So you mean that depending on how long this has been going on," Yuna said thoughtfully, "there could be a small Sin lurking somewhere, growing more powerful each day."

"Exactly," Lulu replied with a nod.

"How do we stop it?" Paine asked.

"We have to find whoever is summoning Sin and stop them from summoning," Lulu answered simply. "But therein lies the problem: they'll have the power of aeons on their side, and we have next to nothing. Which is why we're here, by the way," she added to Yuna.

Yuna nodded. She turned back to the wall of fayth and closed her eyes, forming her hands into the Prayer once more. Again, she felt the magic gather between her hands, seeping out into her arms and the air around her, until she felt the contact again with the fayth of the wall.

_What would you have of us, Lady Summoner?_

Yuna's response wasn't as simple as it had sounded earlier. _I would like to speak with those that have departed to the Farplane. Is this possible?_

_It is,_ the voice in Yuna's head replied mysteriously. _Speak the name of the departed soul with whom you wish to speak._

Yuna hit a brick wall. Who did she want to speak with? Someone with battle experience. That was what they had agreed to before. Had they ever mentioned a name? If she asked one of the others, her connection to the fayth would be broken, and it would be risky to disconnect so quickly. She had to come up with someone on her own.

Then, it came to her.

_Sir Auron,_ Yuna's voice echoed throughout the entire wall of fayth as the request was conveyed from one deceased soul to another. After a few moments, the connection between Yuna and the Fayth Scar weakened into nothingness.

Yuna's eyes opened and she fell to her knees, slightly exhausted. Kimahri was, of course, the first to rush over, and with his large hands on her shoulders, protected her from the harsh winds of the mountain as she recovered, sitting there in front of the wall of fayth.

After a few moments, still nothing had happened. Yuna slowly made it to her feet and looked to the wall of fayth. There was something different about it now. She looked closely at one particular fayth. It was a young, vibrant man with a ponytail and strong shoulders. The image was made of stone, and was very crude, but she could recognize it from spheres from her father's own summoner's pilgrimage.

"It's Sir Auron," Yuna whispered. "It worked."

"Well I'll be!" Wakka exclaimed, slapping a hand to his forehead. "Was he always there like that?"

Lulu shook her head, her eyes never leaving the guardian's rock form. "No, I'm sure of it."

Paine looked closely at the rock formation. "Sir Auron? _The_ Sir Auron?"

Rikku nodded with a grin. "Yep! None other! Crazy old codger, he was!"

"So now what?" Wakka asked.

Yuna knew. She took a deep breath and reached her arm out towards the stone wall. Kimahri, his hands still on her shoulders, tightened his grip as Yuna's hand went nearer the statue.

"Yuna! No!" Lulu cried, leaping forward to stop the young woman from touching the formation.

"Yunie!" Rikku cried.

Lulu's hand only made it to Kimahri's fur before Yuna's hand brushed the rock formation of Auron's body. In Yuna's mind, there was a great flash of white light. Kimahri and Lulu had seen it as well, but the others seemed to have either ignored it, or had not seen it at all.

As Yuna, Kimahri, and Lulu slumped to the ground, the other three collapsed at their sides to help them be as comfortable as possible.

When the white light faded, Yuna, still with her Ronso friend's hands on her shoulders, stood on the deck of a strange houseboat. The sky was dark and cloudy and somewhat stormy. In the near distance was a massive structure that reached almost too high into the sky for Yuna to see the top of. There were hundreds – no, thousands – of such structures. She felt like swooning. Kimahri's grip on her shoulders tightened again.

"Yuna," Lulu said, stepping up beside her friend and looking around. "Is this where I think it is?"

Yuna looked around once more, fighting the urge to scream in utter joy. "Yes, Lulu. I think it is. I believe that we're in Zanarkand."

"And not our Zanarkand," Lulu speculated.

Yuna shook her head, a smile on her face. "No. _His_ Zanarkand."

* * *

Bwahaha! I am the master of drama! Huzzah for Paine. :3 I love Paine. And not in a masochistic way, either. What does this mean for our heroes and heroines? HA! Like I'm going to tell you! Anyway, look out for the next chapters – they'll be interesting ones, for sure. Read and review, please. :3 I shall love you poreber and eber. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chappie 5! Warning: Spoilers of FFX

* * *

Final Fantasy X: Turbulent Waters

* * *

Chapter 5 – Dream

* * *

Yuna's eyes were wide, staring at the monstrous structures all around her. She stood on the deck of a boathouse, in the middle of a gigantic city. The skies were overcast and tinted with purple. To Yuna, it looked like it was supposed to be night, but the lights of the city kept the sky illuminated. The entire sight was overwhelming to the Grand Maester. She felt faint, and felt Kimahri's strong Ronso grip on her shoulders to keep her steady.

Lulu, as well, had been transported there, and she stood perfectly still, only her eyes and her head slowly moving around to take in her surroundings. She was completely silent until Yuna started to swoon, to which she cried, "Yuna!"

Kimahri stood Yuna up straight and let go of her very slowly, making sure she could stand on her own. When Yuna was supporting herself, Kimahri turned to take in his surroundings similarly to the others. He, however, showed no reaction to the strangeness of the area. He merely swished his tail back and forth, completely normal.

"Zanarkand," Yuna whispered. She'd seen Zanarkand in Seymour's chateau in Guadosalam, and this looked very similar to what she had seen. Her heart was twitching in hurt. She was in the Dream World. _His_ Dream World. Her eyes began to tear up as she looked over at Lulu, who stepped over to her and placed her hands on her younger friend's shoulders comfortingly, as she had done so many times on Yuna's pilgrimage.

"We're here," the Grand Maester cried into Lulu's collarbone. Her tears splashed on Lulu's shirt, but the black mage evidently didn't mind. Lulu hugged her tighter and Yuna's sobs calmed.

Yuna's love had been from the Dream World, generated by the fayth of the Fayth Scar. Neither Yuna nor any of her guardians had known before the fall of Sin, which allowed the Fayth Scar to die away, corrupting the Dream World and destroying it completely, along with all citizens of the World itself. Yuna's love had faded away right in front of her, in front of Lulu, and in front of the rest of Yuna's guardians. Yuna had always wondered if there had been a way to restore the Dream World, or if the citizens of the Dream World had gone on to the Farplane, as they were more than mere dreams; they were real people, living within a fabricated world.

Now, here she was, in the world of her lover, completely unable to move from astonishment. Lulu's hand stroked Yuna's hair as she sobbed quietly into her shoulder. This had to be hard for her, Lulu realized – it was hard for Lulu, and she hadn't loved him.

"We have a job to do, remember that," Lulu whispered. Yuna's head bobbed in agreement and she slowly pulled herself away from her black-haired friend.

"I know," she sniffed. She looked over at Kimahri. "Can you see anything, Kimahri?"

Kimahri shook his head, his arms crossed and his tail twitching. "Nothing to see," he reported.

Yuna sighed. That meant that they would have to travel this strange land alone. There was no way that Yuna would be able to hold it together if they had to stay there for very long.

"What do we do?" Yuna asked no one. When neither Kimahri nor Lulu said anything, she growled and shouted out, "What am I supposed to do?" Her voice echoed on the water and the tall buildings.

"Yuna, calm down," Lulu hushed. "We'll figure out what to do."

Yuna pulled completely out of Lulu's hold. "How? We have no idea what we're looking for anymore."

"Have you been distracted so easily that you have forgotten that it was the fayth of Sir Auron that had brought us here?" Lulu asked sternly. Her face had twisted into a disappointed glare. This wasn't like Yuna.

Yuna's eyes shot open. Of course. Their mission. They had to find someone strong enough to help them take on all-new aeons. She couldn't do it herself, and Lulu and Kimahri would need help. They'd traveled to Zanarkand in search of strong warriors. Perhaps Sir Auron would be here. Perhaps he had not actually gone on to the Farplane, as he had appeared to have inside of Sin, a year ago.

Yuna turned to her Ronso guard and nodded sternly. They did have a job to do, after all. The three of them turned towards the city and began to make their way across the houseboat on which they stood.

The trio hadn't walked a total of five minutes before they saw a massive electronic billboard plastered to the side of a massive building. On the billboard was an advertisement for the "Grandest Blitz Stadium in Spira." It had several blitzers participating in what looked like a very vehement match. One in particular caught Yuna's eye.

Yuna's eyes teared up and she cried out. "Look!" She pointed to the billboard as tears streamed down her face.

The blitzer Yuna was pointing to had on a yellow jacket, black gloves, and black shorts with a well-designed red logo on the left pant leg. He had short blonde hair that fell in layers and bright blue eyes. He had a bright smile, and was the only one on the billboard that seemed to have noticed that they were being taken in photo.

Lulu made an audible gasp. "It can't be!" she cried.

"It is."

Kimahri turned and nodded to the man in the long red coat that he had heard step up to the trio long ago. He'd recognized the sound of the heavy black boots and the jingle of the chain holding the man's liquor jug to his self.

"Sir Auron!" Yuna cried. Her tears did not stop flowing – in fact, they flowed even faster as she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around the man's shoulders. She began to sob into the man's shoulder uncontrollably.

"Is this any way for the Grand Maester to conduct business?" the man asked in a somewhat deep, husky voice.

"Don't call me that," Yuna cried as she pulled away from her old guardian. She slapped his shoulder as she continued to sob, though now much more controlled. Lulu and Auron chuckled.

"It's amazing to see you again," Lulu told the fallen guardian.

Auron nodded to Lulu in response. Yuna finally managed to free her guardian from her own grasp and return to Lulu's side. "Sir Auron, we would be honored to have you by our side for a little while longer," the Maester said with a deep bow.

Auron looked down on Yuna's bow and gave a simple, "Hmph." He turned his back to Yuna and took two steps away. "Is this the request of Grand Maester Yuna?" he asked.

Yuna stood up straight, her eyes filled with hurt. "I-I don't understand."

"It's a simple enough question," Auron replied over his shoulder. "Are you here in the name of Grand Maester Yuna, requesting my assistance?"

Yuna looked at Auron as if he was the most confusing thing in Spira. Finally, she nodded. "Yes. In the name of Grand Maester Yuna, please accompany us to Spira proper."

Auron looked back towards his front. "Then the answer is no."

Yuna gasped and Lulu took a step forward. Kimahri simply looked at Auron, no evident feeling in his gaze.

Lulu was the first to speak. "Sir Auron?"

"I refuse to help a Maester," Auron explained, not looking at a one of them.

Yuna placed her hand over her heart. She felt as if the last hope of Spira were slipping away from her like sand through a person's fingers. How could Auron, an old friend of both hers and even her father's, say no? It was…

"Impossible," Yuna said, her voice quiet.

Auron didn't look at Yuna. "Nothing impossible about it," he replied.

"Yes it is." Yuna charged the man and turned to face him. "You wouldn't say no. You're my guardian. You're my father's guardian. You're _his_ guardian. You can't say no."

Auron looked over Yuna's head. "I am not the guardian of any Maester."

Yuna took a step backwards, tears flowing down her face for a new reason. "What do you mean?" she cried.

Auron was silent. He outright refused to look at anyone.

Lulu took another step forward. "What if we asked you to be the guardian of a High Summoner, vanquisher of Sin?" she asked.

Auron turned just enough to look straight at Lulu. "Now that I'll do."

Yuna's sobs stopped immediately. Her eyes were wide and her face frozen in disbelief. He'd been playing with her! She walked up to Auron and gave him a hit in the chest. "That _wasn't_ funny!" she cried angrily.

Auron looked down at the summoner. "I wasn't joking. I will not work for a Maester. I only work for summoners."

"Why didn't you just say that in the first place?" Yuna cried.

"You didn't ask."

Yuna fumed silently for a moment, but she finally wrapped her arms around Auron again. Auron grunted, but didn't try to pull away. He knew that he'd been defeated.

"Shall we go, then?" Lulu asked. "There's still someone here that I'm sure the High Summoner would like to see."

Yuna stared at Lulu in shock. She couldn't mean…

Auron shook his head. "No. We can't."

Yuna looked up at Auron in even more shock. "Why?" she cried in desperation.

Auron turned his head. "This is a Zanarkand prior to Sin's intervention in Jecht's son's life."

Lulu was silent, but Yuna shook her head and said, "What? I don't understand."

Lulu had the answer. "Sir Auron's fayth could only bring us to one point in Zanarkand's history: a time before Jecht's son came to Spira. He wouldn't know you if he saw you, Yuna."

Yuna's eyes filled with tears again. They seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "No…no, we must go see him!" she pleaded.

Auron shook his head. "You've already heard the answer to that."

Yuna's hand clenched on Auron's chest as she let her head fall forward in quiet sobs. Auron made no move to comfort the summoner. Lulu stood a fair distance away and did not make a move either. She knew that Yuna would have to tough it out. There was no way out of it.

"Yuna, we have to go," Lulu said urgently, but she made sure to keep her voice gentle. "Rikku and the others are waiting for us."

Auron raised an eyebrow. "Others?"

Yuna nodded, wiping away her tears. "Rikku and Wakka are waiting for us at the Fayth Scar, along with a new person named Paine."

Auron looked down at Yuna and nodded. "Then let's go." His eyes were hidden behind his shades, of course, but the sentiment in his gestures was enough to tell Yuna that he had, indeed, had no intention of letting her leave without his services.

Yuna nodded and closed her eyes. "I just hope this works the way I think it will," she said sullenly. The concentrated with all her mind and heart to be back at the Fayth Scar. She wanted to be back in Spira. She wanted to be away from Zanarkand. Away from _him_.

Yuna's heart was split in two. She wanted to stay, to find him. Lulu's voice continued to run through her head, however, stating how important it was that they returned to Spira and fought their unknown opponent. Yuna knew it to be true, but wished that it couldn't be.

The world began to spin and Yuna felt her consciousness returning. She opened her eyes once more, staring up at the crystal blue sky that oversaw the Fayth Scar and Mount Gagazet. She was back home. She was back in the fray of danger.

She was far, far away from where she wanted to be...

* * *

Yar! I'm really sorry about the delay. School likes to smash you in the face and say "worship me!"

I'm on break for a while, so I hope to continue, if not finish, a lot of the stories I have already started, so stay tuned. Reviews would hurry the process along, trust me. (wink)


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